Ching shih biography of donald
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Zheng Shi, Pirate Lady of China
The most successful pirate in history was not Blackbeard (Edward Teach) or Barbarossa, but Zheng Shi or Ching Shih of China. She acquired great wealth, ruled the South China Seas, and best of all, survived to enjoy the spoils.
We know next to nothing about Zheng Shi's early life. In fact, "Zheng Shi" means simply "widow Zheng" - we don't even know her birth name. She was likely born in 1775, but the other details of her childhood are lost to history.
Zheng Shi's Marriage
She first enters the historical record in 1801. The beautiful young woman was working as a prostitute in a Canton brothel when she was captured by pirates. Zheng Yi, a famous pirate fleet admiral, claimed the captive to be his wife. She pluckily agreed to marry the pirate leader only if certain conditions were met. She would be an equal partner in the leadership of the pirate fleet, and half the admiral's share of the plunder would be hers. Z
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The Little Girl of Kwantung
When talking about successful pirates — something we’ve done quite a bit of on this channel — you may conjure images of some rugged, bearded, European bloke, a Captain in command of a handful of ships and a few hundred men. He may have stolen a few hundred thousand Spanish Dollars, and may exert control over a sea route between, I don’t know, Yucatan and Cuba.
Well done you. That’s not bad. Here is my slow hand clap to congratulate you … but I am afraid that’s not going to cut it.
That’s because arguably the most successful pirate in history was a Chinese Admiral, in charge of a vast fleet of hundreds of vessels, manned by 70,000 men at its peak.
This pirate had total control over a huge coastal area, humiliating the navies of at least three major powers.
And this pirate… was a she.
She was known as Cheng Shih, Ching Shih or Cheng I Sao. She was a Master of Diplomacy, of trade, and of naval strategy. She was the undisputed Pirate Que
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Mrs. Cheng: The Most Successful Pirate in History
For years, Mrs. Cheng maintained good relationships with the leaders of every fleet in the coalition. She ran a tight ship (so to speak) and oversaw everything from monetary transactions to religious ceremonies.
On her watch, the pirate alliance expanded like crazy. Of the 270 government-owned ships stationed at Tien-Pai, 266 fell beneath her control. By demanding regular patronage from sailing merchants, Mrs. Cheng's sailors profited off Canton's lucrative salt trade. As a matter of fact, the outlaws extracted so much revenue across their domain that Mrs. Cheng funnen it necessary to establish a network of land-based financial offices.
Her strategic mind was well-suited to warfare. Mrs. Cheng's fleets regularly embarrassed the navies of southern China. They grew notorious for kidnapping kinesisk officials, blockading rivers and routing just about anybody who opposed their will. But that was to change.
In 1809, China's increasingly a